Are biennales like art fairs – a quick way to kill an artist’s soul? I sometimes had this impression while I was in Venice last week, even though nothing is for sale. There’s a lot of art to see, sure, but more importantly, people to schmooze! Given that the day the Biennale opens to the public the crowds thin dramatically — this is same day the three-day advance press and VIP preview closes — it’s hard to think the show is mostly about the art.

If the Venice Biennale were a race, no one would finish. There's too much art to see, which means people look at what's talked about and make empty promises to return in the summer – the exhibition is up through November 27th.

But how effective a viewing strategy is following the buzz? Better than one would think.

The Venice Biennale only happens once every two years, but it's the closest approximation to an international sporting event the art would has. Next month, countries will once more vie for the honor of Best National Pavilion, the highly sought-after Golden Lion award no one in the field will admit they are actively competing for. Even if it's a rather lofty way of thinking about art, the idea that one artwork should be somehow more transcendent than another is distasteful to many in the profession.